Thursday, 17 January 2013

Usizwe Namatshitshi: Yithi Sifikile (1971)

On hearing the opening bars of the first track you will be forgiven for thinking that this was recorded at the wrong speed. And just as you sit back, realising that this is how it is meant to sound, you might find your feet saying, 'hey, we want to move to this slowed-up, elastic and catchy mbaqanga beat'.

Another good way to start off the new year from an album that justifies its title of Yithi Sifikile: "We say we have arrived". The first track "Ufikile Unyaka Omusha" literally means "A new year has begun". "Usizwe Namatshitshi" translates approximately to "even the young girls heard us" - 'itshitshi' meaning adolescent girl.

In a previous post of another slightly earlier 1971 recording of this same band here, Nick is spot-on in describing the music as a blend of traditional and mbaqanga. Today's album perhaps veers just a little more towards mbaqanga, still with the popular mix of male groaner and female vocal group.

Musical Director: H. Vala Nzimande

I encourage you to read Nick Lotay's background on this band and the rivalry between Hamilton Vala Nzimande's Isibaya Esikhulu Music and Rupert Bopape's Mavuthela Musichere. As with the previous record, most compositions are Nzimande's, there are also tracks credited to Absolom Mkhwanazi and Albert Motha, who both became the core of the band Amaswazi Emvelo. The lead female singer Busi Dlamini also contributes two tracks.